Combination locking and latching device



March 17, 1970 P. w. JESPERSEN COMBINATION LOCKING AND LATCHING DEVICE 2Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1968 INVENTOR PAUL W JESPERSEN MWM KL.

ATTORNEYS March 17, 1970 P. w. JESPERSEN 3,500,667

COMBINATION LOCKING AND LATCHING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PNL W. JESPERSEN Q MMMQ ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,500,667 COMBINATION LOCKING AND LATCHING DEVICE Paul W.Jespersen, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Georgia- Pacific Corporation,Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Georgia Filed Aug. 5, 1968, Ser. No.750,169 Int. Cl. E05b 65/44, 65/62; E05c 3/04 US. Cl. 70-84 6 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device which functions either as akey-operated lock or as a push button-operated latch for releasablysecuring separable portions of an enclosure together, and having meansfor selectively preventing the device from functioning other than as akey-operated lock to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of theenclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of theprior art Locks of various types have long been used for securingseparable portions of enclosures, such as cabinets, boxes, or the like,together. For example, many types of key-operated locks have beendesigned for securing the lid of a money or jewelry box to the mainportion of the box.

Similarly, various types of locks have been designed for securingseparable portions of a toilet paper or paper towel disenser cabinettogether. Generally, such locks are relatively simple, inexpensivedevices which are operated with a key, and are almost always installedin dispenser cabinets which are to be placed in public or quasi-publicwashrooms to prevent unauthorized access to the paper and dispensermechanism within such a cabinet.

In many quasi-public washrooms, however, such as a washroom used by arelatively small number of employees of a business, there is littledanger that those having access to the washroom will attempt to tamperwith the interior of the dispenser cabinets placed therein. Accordingly,for such washrooms there is no requirement that the separable portionsof a dispenser cabinet be secured together by a lock, but only by ahand-operated latch. The use of a hand-operated latch for securing theseparable portions of a dispenser cabinet together permits a custodianto open the cabinet for servicing the dispenser much quicker than if heis required to unlock a lock utilizing a key in order to gain access tothe interior of the cabinet.

Desirably, therefore, dispenser cabinets which are designed to be placedin public and quasi-public washrooms should include a locking device ifthe cabinets are to be placed in a public washroom and a latchingdeviceif they are to be placed in a quasi-public washroom. Obviously itwould be more economical if a single device, which would selectivelyfunction either as a locking or latching device, could be installed inall such cabinets, rather than use a separate locking device for thecabinets to be placed in one type of washroom and a separate latchingdevice for the cabinets to be placed in the other.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The device of the invention is ideally suitedfor use in toilet paper and paper towel dispenser cabinets which aredesigned to be placed in either public or quasi-public washrooms. Thedevice selectively functions either as a key-operated lock or as a pushbutton-operated latch.

Basically described the combination locking and latching device of theinvention comprises: a resilient means, such as a fiat spring, adaptedto be connected to the inside of a first portion of an enclosure; afastening means, such as a hammer having a hook integral therewith,operatively connected to the resilient means and being movable in afirst direction with a key from externally of the first enclosureportion; an anchoring means, such as a flange, adapted to be connectedto the inside of a second portion of the enclosure, which second portionis separable from the first portion, the anchoring means beingengageable by the fastening means for releasably securing the first andsecond enclosure portions together; a biasing means, such as a spring,operatively connected to the fastening means for urging the fasteningmeans into engagement with the anchoring means; an actuating means, suchas a barrel, operatively connected to the resilient means and beingdepressible in a second direction from externally of the first enclosureportion so that the fastening means may be disengaged from the anchoringmeans by depressing the actuating means and thus flexing the resilientmeans to thereby move the fastening means in said second direction untilit disengages the anchoring means, or by moving the fastening means insaid first direction with the key until it disengages the anchoringmeans; and means adapted to be connected to the second enclosureportion, such as a slidable bar, for selectively blocking the fasteningmeans from being moved in said second direction to thereby selectivelyprevent the fastening means from being disengaged from the anchoringmeans by depressing the actuating means.

As will be appreciated from this brief description, the combinationlocking and latching device of the invention has relatively fewoperative elements, all of which may be fabricated relativelyinexpensively. Moreover while the structure of the device is rathersimple, it is rugged enough to withstand the abusive wear that isinvariably received by public washroom fixtures.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a combination locking and latching device for releasablysecuring separable portions of an enclosure together.

-It is also an object of the invention to provide a combination lockingand latching device that is specifically adapted to be installed intoilet paper and paper towel dispenser cabinets which are to be placedin public and quasi-public washrooms.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device whichselectively functions either as a key-operated lock or as a pushbutton-operated latch for releasably securing separable portions of anenclosure together.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a combinationlocking and latching device which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and which is rugged enough to withstand abusive wear.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparentupon a consideration of the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment thereof, given in connection with the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view, partially insection and partially broken away, of the combination locking andlatching device of the invention as installed in a toilet paperdispenser cabinet;

FIG. 2 is ,a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a different relationshipbetween the operative elements of the device; FIG. 4 is a sectional viewtaken on line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of several of the elements of the device ofthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another of the elements of the device ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of thedevice of the invention is sohwn in FIG. 1, as designated by referencenumeral 10. Device 10 includes a resilient means, such as flat spring12, which is adapted to be connected at one end to the inside of a firstportion of an enclosure, such as portion 14 of a toilet paper dispensercabinet 16, by suitable fastening means, such as rivets 18. The otherend of spring 12 has an opening 20 therein which is aligned with anopening 22 in cabinet portion 14. The functions of openings 20 and 22are described in detail below.

A housing plate 24 is aflixed to spring 12 by suitable fastening means,such as rivets 26, and extends beneath opening 20 in the spring.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, spring 12 and plate 24 define a. housing 27therebetween within which is disposed a fastening means, such as hammer28. Hammer 28 is rotataoly mounted on a pivot pin 30 which is aflixed tohouslng plate 24 and extends upwardly into housing 27. Also, the hammerintegrally includes a hook 32 which extends Jutwardly from the housing.

Hook 32 is engageable with an anchoring means, such as flange 34, whichis adapted to be connected to the in- ;ide of a second portion of anenclosure, such as portion 56 of cabinet. 16. Cabinet portions 14 and 36are sepirable, for example, the portions may be pivotally inter-:onnected, so that a custodian may gain access to the inlerior ofdispenser 16 for servicing the dispenser. As will )e evident, however,when hook 32 is engaged with flange S4 portions 14 and 36 will besecured together.

A biasing means, such as torque spring 38, is coniected between housingplate 24 and hammer 28 for roatably urging hook 32 in the direction ofengagement vith flange 34. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the forward )ortion of the edge of book 32 nearest flange 34 slopes iutwardly from theforward end of the hook toward the lange, to define a camming surface40. When portions l4 and 36 of cabinet 16 are brought together, camming:urface 40 contacts the longitudinal extremity 42 of flange i4 nearesthook 32, causing the hook to rotate away from he flange in opposition tothe force exerted on the hook )y spring 38. After the forward portion ofthe hook has moved behind the flange, spring 38 automatically rotates hehook in the direction of engagement with the flange, 0 thusautomatically secure cabinet portions 14 and 36 ogether.

Also mounted within housing 27 is an actuating means, uch as barrel 44.Barrel 44 comprises two substantially emi-cylindrical sections 43 whichare jointed at one end )y a web 45 and at the other end by a circularflange 48. [he barrel is mounted for rotation on pin 30, with the nnersurface of web 45 bearing against the top of the pin, .nd extendsupwardly from housing 27 through opening :0 in spring 12 and opening 22in cabinet portion 14. The and is retained in housing 27 by theengagement of lange 48 with spring 12, and is accessible from externallyf cabinet 16.

- Hammer 28 and barrel 44 have aligned elongated slots l7 therein foraccommodating a key 46 insertable into the '4 slots from externally ofcabinet 16 through openings 22 and 20.

As will be apparent from this description, by depressing barrel 44 fromexternally of cabinet '16 and thus flexing spring 12 as shown in FIG. 3,hook 32 may be moved transversely of flange 34. When the hook has movedbelow the lower transverse extremity 50 of the flange, it becomesdisengaged from the flange and cabinet portions 14 and 36 may beseparated. Device 10 may thus function as a push button-operated latch.

Alternatively, by rotating barrel 44 and hammer 28 with key 46 againstthe force of biasing spring 38, hook 32 may be moved longitudinally offlange 34. When edge portion 40 of the hook has moved clear oflongitudinal flange extremity 42, the hook becomes disengaged from theflange and cabinet portions 14 and 36 may be separated. Device 10 maythus also function as a key-operated lock.

One operating feature common to both functional modes of device 10 isthat when cabinet 16 is closed, i.e., when cabinet portions 14 and 36are brought together,

hook 32 automatically engages flange 34 in the manner flange extremityfor accommodating an aligning ear 56 integrally aflixed to housing plate24. When cabinet portions 14 and 36 are brought together, ear 56 movesinto space 54 to thus insure that hook 32 will be properly aligned withflange 34, longitudinally of the flange, for engagement therewith.

Device 10 also includes means for selectively blocking hook 32 frombeing moved transversely of flange 34 and thus selectively preventingthe hook from being disengaged from the flange by depressing barrel 44.Such means comprises a slidably mounted bar 58 which is adapted to beconnected to the inside of cabinet portion 36. Specifically, the bar isconnected to a mounting brack-' et 60 that is aflixed to cabinet portion36. An adjustable fastening means, such as sheet metal screw 62, extendsthrough an elongated slot 64 (FIG, 6) in bracket 60 for releasablysecuring the bar to the bracket. Bracket 60 is longitudinally alignedwith flange 34 so that bar 58 is disposed in substantial longitudinalalignment with the flange.

As will be evident from this description,.bar 58 may be moved to a firstposition in which the end 68 of the bar nearest longitudinal flangeextremity 42 is displaced therefrom a distance greater than the width ofthe shank portion of hook 32; the shank portion of the hook being thatportion of the hook which is longitudinally adjacent longitudinal flangeextremity 42 when the hook is engaged with the flange. When the bar isin this first position, hook 32 may be disengaged from flange 34 bydepressing barrel 44, as described above, so that device 10 may functionas a push button-operated latch.

Bar 58 also may be moved to a second position in which bar end 68 isdisplaced from longitudinal flange extremity 42 a distance less than thewidth of the shank portion of hook 32. This is the position of the barshown in FIGS. 1 and 6. When the bar is in this second position, it willbe disposed between the shank portion of the hook and transverse flangeextremity 50. However, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the side of the barnearest flange 34 is reduced in height so that when the bar is in thesecond position it will not interfere with the movement of hook 32 inthe longitudinal direction of flange 34. Also, the bar has a lip 66integrally aflixed thereto which extends parallel to and adjacent thehook when the bar is in the second position and the hook is engaged withthe flange. Thus, when bar 58 is in the second position, lip 66 blockshook 32 from being moved transversely of flange 34 so that device mayfunction only as a key-operated lock.

For public washrooms in which unauthorized access to the interior ofcabinet 16 is to be prevented, bar 58 is moved to the second position sothat cabinet portions 14 and 36 may be separated only when hook 32 isdisengaged from flange 34 longitudinally of the flange with key 46. Forquasi-public washrooms, however, in which unauthorized access to theinterior of the cabinet poses no problem, bar 58 is moved to the firstposition so that hook 32 may be disengaged from flange 34 transverselyof the flange by depressing barrel 44.

Device 10 thus constitutes a combination locking and latching devicewhich is ideally suited to be installed in toilet paper and paper toweldispenser cabinets designed to be placed in either public orquasi-public washrooms, and eliminates the need for installing either aseparate locking device or a separate latching device in such a cabinetdepending upon the type of washroom in which the cabinet is to beplaced.

Although the device of the invention has been described with specificreference to its use in toilet paper and paper towel dispenser cabinets,it is obvious that the device might be used with any type of enclosurewhere it is desired to provide alternative latching and locking modes ofoperation.

Further, while the foregoing constitutes a detailed description of apreferred embodiment of the invention, it is recognized that variousmodifications thereof will ocur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A combination locking and latching device compr1sa resilient meansadapted to be connected to the inside of a first portion of anenclosure;

a fastening means operatively connected to said resilient means andbeing movable in a first direction with a key from externally of saidfirst enclosure portion;

an anchoring means adapted to be connected to the inside of a secondportion of said enclosure, which second portion is movable with respectto said first portion, said anchoring means being engageable by saidfastening means for releasably securing said first and second enclosureportions together;

a biasing means operatively connected to said fastening means for urgingsaid fastening means into engagement with said anchoring means;

an actuating means operatively connected to said resilient means andbeing depressible in a second direction from externally of said firstenclosure portion, said fastening means being disengaged from saidanchoring means either by depressing said actuating means in said seconddirection or by moving said fastening means in said first direction withsaid key; and

means connected to said second enclosure portion for selectivelyblocking said fastening means from being moved in said second directionto thereby selectively prevent said fastening means from beingdisengaged from said anchoring means by depressing said actuating means.

2. A combination locking and latching device as recited in claim 1,wherein said fastening means comprises a hammer having a hook integraltherewith, and wherein said anchoring means comprises a flangeengageable by said hook.

3. A combination locking and latching device as recited in claim 2,wherein said selective blocking means comprises a slidably mounted bardisposed in substantial alignment with said flange in said firstdirection.

4. A combination locking and latching device as recited in claim 1,wherein said resilient means comprises a flat spring attached at one endto the inside of said first enclosure portion.

5. A combination locking and latching device comprising:

a flat spring adapted to be attached at one end to the inside of a firstportion of an enclosure and having an opening therein at the other end;

a housing plate affixed to said spring and extending beneath saidopening, said plate and said spring defining a housing therebetween;

a hammer rotatably mounted in said housing and being rotatable with akey insertable into said opening from externally of said first enclosureportion, said hammer having a hook integral therewith which hook extendsoutwardly from said housing;

a flange. adapted to be connected to the inside of a second portion ofsaid enclosure, which second portion is movable with respect to saidfirst portion, said flange being engageable by said hook for releasablysecuring said first and second enclosure portions together;

a biasing means operatively connected to said hammer for rotatablyurging said hook into engagement with said flange;

a barrel rotatably mounted in said housing and being rotatable with saidhammer by said key,'said barrel extending through said opening and beingaccessible from externally of said first enclosure portion so that thehook may be disengaged from the flange by depressing the barrel and thusflexing the spring to thereby move the hook transversely of the flangeuntil the hook clears a transverse extremity of the flange, or byrotating the barrel and hammer with said key to thereby move the hooklongitudinally of the flange until the hook clears a longitudinalextremity of the flange; and

means connected to the inside of said second enclosure portion forselectively blocking said hook from being moved transversely of saidflange to thereby selectively prevent said book from being disengagedfrom said flange by depressing said barrel.

6. A combination locking and latching device as recited in claim 5,wherein said selective blocking means comprises a slidably mounted barconnected to the inside of said second enclosure portion and beingdisposed in substantial longitudinal alignment with said flange, saidbar being slidable away from said longitudinal flange extremity to afirst position in which one end of the bar is displaced from saidlongitudinal flange extremity a dis tance greater than the width of theportion of said book which is longitudinally adjacent said longitudinalflange extremity when the hook is engaged with the flange, and beingslidable toward said longitudinal flange extremity to a second positionin which said bar end is displaced from said longitudinal flangeextremity a distance less than the width of said hook portion and aportion of the bar is disposed between said hook and said transverseflange extremity, so that when the bar is in said first position thehook can be disengaged from the flange by depressing the barrel, andwhen the bar is in said second position the bar blocks the hook frombeing moved transversely of the flange and the hook cannot be disengagedfrom the flange by depressing the barrel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 719,691 2/1903 Peterson -137 X1,073,482 9/1913 Ford 70137 X 2,313,711 3/1943 Jacobi 70145 2,399,8125/1946 Ledin 7084 2,939,307 6/1960 Trammell 70-181 RICHARD E. MOORE,Primary Examiner E. I. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner

